The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1887-08-27
SURVEYOR GENERALS REPORT.
What IL Says 81 the Resources and
Prospects 81 Nevada.

Bureau, u. >. Surveyor General Irish,
of Nevada. has this To say about the
resources md prospects of this State
81 know of m part of the United
States where farming has larger or
more certain return, than do the culti-
waited lands of Nevada. Tillage de-
pends now upon irrigation, but Obscr
vation convinces me that alfalfa aud
oth,r valuable crops could lie raiscd
in many places without irrigation, or,
at most, using for the purpose the flood
waters that rush rut of lie mountain
detiles in the Springtime from the
early melting SHOWS.
There is much yet to learn of Ne
vada's tillable lands, for farming is in
Its infancy here. BY the State reports
for January, 1887, | learn that ut that
date there we're only l20 square miles
of IIled land in Tie State.
Making an approximate estimate
from nnps IN my POSSESSION, | find
that about 10000 square miles Ot the
surface of Nevada occupied 10y noun
tain ranges; a 100 of what are CLASH
fled MS deserts, ami the remaining 2l,-
O0O square miles Is made up OF rich
agricultural land. needing only water
aud the care at the husuandman la
pfoduce valuable crops. and give the
state sturdy, stealfast population
ana increasing wealth, wliicn added To
the mineral output and the value of
q I..r.la IL. .aaa1
horses which tile State will support, i,
VIII put Nevada In the front rank of
States.
"rhe cattle interest is now equal to,
j { not ahead of the mining interest III
value and Importance. Great herds
are To be tnuna IN evely quarter ot the
State. The animals are ner,ied nj the
fnut of the mountains and in the val
leys during tie Winter season, aud in
Summer III o. the mountains. Tie
owners of laese herds perceive that
they nave oyerstoeked the country To
sucn an extent that the bunch grass
and other heritage which made il val
uabie as grazing country. are rapidly
disappearing. TINS TACT has turned
their attention To raising hay for Win
ter feed, aud out at tie demand tDr
hay has come IA use for the States TILL
able lands III production This de.
mand irnm this one source viii ln
crease from year Ia year. unt. Will be
reinforced by other demands for lands
inr other purposes aud 10y other
CiasSes.
As the law now stands il is next io
imp,sslOle lar the owner at herd of
cattle la acquire title Ia the lands
bIch lac must occupy IN order Ia suc-
cesslnliy carry on his business. The
law should IL so amended as that the
ihuuhlan AMI desert lands may be ac-
uuircd IN large glazing tracts as cattle
| ranges, reserYlug the walter right iof
| u.e uf those Vim wish the waters ut
| Tie canyons ior agricultural purposes
oa thr plains below. can s.e M
r.ason WY laese otherwise useless
| tracts, 81 great IN area shuu.d not by
| laa Ue matte as availaDie ter the pur-
/ poses al stock raising, and become
con-, ,qurntly IA snuic,. m revenue Ia
the State AMI IL the Union; rs are the
min, raj Ian ls. which are So carefully
reserved and MATE available IT, tile
prosUector and mineral claiInant. As
II Is now, tness vasI mountain chains
aud vide deserts plains, are "a yearly
battle ground upon which cuntendlng
herdsmen mecl, aud Uy wager ot bat
tie declle wlln shall use them.
1T Is n0t cqual and exact justice to
all Glasses ot clllzens, where the deliver
III nnr source nl wealth is fully pro
Ircied IN his rights hecause lac has
been the lucky discoverer at mineral
ledge. ar bel al salt, bnrax ar sodn,
wnicn ll;s fellow citizen, just as accept
able and equally industrious, Is denied
al rignIs. oLd, forced by the Jaw, be.
comes an lsmaelItc, protecting AMI
supporting his property by the strong
arm. II ne acquire any rights nj all
under the law be must do il 10y fraud.
As have said before. the cattle
10 erect is next la. ii indeed II does
not oatrsnk mining. This being s",
tins Class of capitalists is entitled to
as much consideration vt the hands ut
Congress as any other producers IN
the State or in the country 1t costs
hut little tD obtain mining claim,
while il costs among Thousands to es-
-